Day 1- Jan 30th 2017
Bhajan Kutir of Srila Bhakti Siddanta Saraswati Thakur and Tota Gopinath Temple
- Guru puja + SB class by
Gurudeva
SB – 10.2.31
O Lord who resemble the shining
sun, You are always ready to fulfill the desire of your devotee and therefore
You are known as a desire
Mood of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was
to follow the acaryas. Pasttime with Balavabhatta who visited the devotees
regularly and was engaged in conversation, he was writing commentaries and he
suggested that his commentary was better than Sridhar Swami. When Mahaprabhu heard
this, He was disturbed and commented that anyone who doesn’t follow Sridhar
Swami is a prostitute. This is how we should have the mood of following our
acaryas – by Sruti, Smrit and Shastra.
Rupa Gosvami quotes in BRS – dev which
doesn’t follow in the Sruti, Smriti and Shastra is a disturbance to society. In
the above pastime, he showed that the mood of the followers is to always be
respectful to the mood and the method of the previous acaryas. This verse also
says this. It is very difficult to cross the ocean of nescience but anyone can cross the ocean of nescience
just be following acaryas. Example – a child following older devotees has its
effect. Sometimes we might be concerned of the prospect of advancing in dev
service and how difficult it is and to develop this taste. We are always
hankering to get to the state of having this taste. Krsna knows (from this
verse), that we are trying to follow the previous acaryas. 6th canto
its mentioned that we should just follow the footsteps of the acaryas.
The mode of operation in the
material world is – we don’t follow any authority and if someone is in
authority then they become envious. Ex – 2 friends talking about the other
friend and are envious of his growth. Premise of advancing in dev serv is to
notice the great souls and these great souls are glorified in the SB, these
great acaryas and we need to follow the life of these acaryas. Tat tat karma
pradanyat – specifically they have given us their life path and how we can
follow them to go back home back to Godhead. They leave that also behind and Krsna
accepts them leaving that behind.
2nd canto famous verse
– the munis worshipped the Supreme Personality because they knew that He is
faultless and they could derive the greatest benefit by following them. We can
also benefit by just following their lives. Even people who are far far away
from the vedic life, all those people become eligible by just following the
lives of the Vaishnavas, just find out what they think you should do. Just by
following them you will become successful. Even Mahaprabhu in His leela he
showed how we can accept the previous acaryas.
Mahaprabhu went to Gaya where
people go to give Shraddha to the souls left. There He met Isvara Puri and was
smitten by him and then asked him for initiation. Isvara Puri knew He was the
Supreme Personality of Godhead and to provide Him some service gave Him diksha.
Just by receiving the mantras, Mahaprabhu had a visible transformation and He
went to Navadwip and all devotees knew He had become a Vaisnava. Mahaprabhu
followed in the mood of this verse to show people how to make the journey back
home back to Godhead. Mahaprabhu accepted a Spritiual Master and then had a
transformation. The boat is set before us as 1. Detailed instruct ructions from
our previous acaryas (NOD, BG, SB, CC) Just
by these we can understand the mood and method of the previous acaryas of how
to follow them and make our lives successful.
In whatever situation we are if
we follow these instructructions propely we can make our lifetime successful.
Even if we can’t do everything, if we keep the mood by just trying to follow –
then we will become successful. Even if we can’t follow everything properly, if
they are trying to follow properly then one will gradually make progress in dev
service.
Just when we make the mood to
follow these instructions of our previous acaryas which is just like a boat to
cross the ocean of neiceanse, when we
try to even step into that boat the entire ocean shrinks like the water in the
hoof of a calf. SP also says, how the process is so simple, we should have
faith that this simple process can actually lead us to Krsna. Just have faith
and follow the instructions of SP our previous acarya. Even if we take the
instruction of 1 verse of BG and implement, it’s amazing how much advancement
we can make in our dev life.
This mood of following – anugraha
– anu means to follow and graha mean to grab – someone who grabs you and tells
you to follow this method. This is mercy – SP did this for the whole world and
he gave the mercy to everyone on how they can all go back home back to Godhead.
The process is open and it doesn’t
mean you have to take a big step, but the mood is you have to take at least A
step and it’s all about krame krame and never to stop, keep going sp by step.
Follow the Shastra and try to see from those eyes.
Bhajan Kutir of HH Bhakti
Saraswati Thakur = Sri Sri Radha Vinodmadhav (after His Madhava deity), He
also established Gadhadhara pandit. He liked this place a lot.
Started with Kirtan Gauranga
Karuna Karo
-
Narottam Das Thakur is saying I’m the most
fallen and I don’t even want the mercy. Please give it to me forcefully.
-
I’m the most fallen, I’m on the bottom, I’m the
most fallen and hence Gauranga, please give me the mercy as I’m the most
fallen.
-
Always have the mood that everyone is better
than me and I’m the most fallen. Example of the business man who wanted to get
initiated by the sadhu and couldn’t find anybody more fallen than him.
-
He calls out Gauranga’s name with grass between
his teeth
o
Why? As having something between teeth and
calling out isn’t very loud.
§
Because this means we aren’t calling out from
our lips, but from our heart
§
Another meaning – being very humble and not
calling out without any excuses.
o
The reason you have to give me mercy first is
because I’m the most fallen and you have to give me the boat of your lotus feet
and save me.
o
My ticket to get on the boat is my Gurudeva.
o
This is the mood of entering the dhaam.
o
Mood of Gurudeva – empower devotees so they can
also be engaged in SP’s service.
o
Gurudeva has given us the love and mercy, We have
to be kritagya. It means we should be grateful. When we are grateful, then the
person gives us blessings.
o
So Gurudeva has empowered us, but how can we
empower him? Ex - Govind deo in Jaipur is so effulgent, why is He more
effulgent than our deity, because we give them more love. When we give more
love, they become more effulgent. Same way we can empower our Gurudeva is by
giving them our ear, hearing their instruction, follow their instructions and
then they become more empowered and effulgent.
-
About this place by HG Madhavananda Pr.
o
Mahaprabhu was going to the ocean everyday.
After taking bath he was coming back with many devotees. Mahaprabhu is still
here doing His pasttimes.
o
Mahaprabhu started singing the verse from the 10th
canto (Hanta radhika vraktacandra…) and He became unconscious. Devotees woke
Him up with the HK mantra. When He woke up, he said He was in Govardhan.
o
This is our place of origin = Chata parvat in
Jagganath Puri Dhaam. Bhakti Siddanta Saraswati Maharaj was doing his bhajan
here up the hill.
o
Nija nitaka nivasam Govinda Govardhana Sri Sacinanda
o
When BSST was living here, his Grahasta devotee
from Bombay wrote to him. He said I can’t serve you directly like your other
disciples, Dec 1936 he got that letter. 9th 1968 Dec, SP spoke about
this. He said no body knew how I met my Gurudeva, how I met the devotees in
America etc, it’s all K’s mercy.
o
He wrote back in the letter and said preach in English
that will help you - preach to everyone
and it will also bring you people who will be able to help you.
o
It was at this place BSST wrote back to SP.
o
BSST left this world at this place, Mahaprabhu
left at this place – very imp place.
o
It was at this place, that devotees also help
the disappearance festival of SP.
o
This is a place of mercy for us, this is the
place where we give our gratitude and this is the place where we get blessings
of our Gurudeva.
o
Start the yatra with an attitude of Kritagya. We
have come here so we can feel empowered, so we can fulfill the order of SP,
BSST and ultimately the order of Mahaprabhu. It was here where important things
and pasttimes happened here.
o
Wherever we are in the world, always remember
this is our home and feel empowered to be connected to these great souls so we
can carry on the order of our acaryas.
Glories of BSST by Gurudeva
-
Final instructions to devotees BY Srila BSST
maharaj.
-
When there are many communication/letter
exchanges between acaryas, just by studying them and we make it our life and soul,
then we forcefully get pulled by the internal potency by the words of the
acaryas for us to follow.
-
SP’s instruction – print as many books in as
many languages and then distribute them all over. This is how the whole cycle
is getting complete:
o
BSST said print books and preach in English
o
SP followed and then after following the words
of the acaryas it is amazing to see how his mission is coming full circle as we
distributed his books in oriyan in Orrisa.
o
Hence, it is so imp to follow in the footsteps
of our Gurudeva to distribute these books.
o
SP tooks devotees to – Gaya, Kumba Mela and then
SP got sick and went to Remuna and then they played in the ocean, here – BSST Bhajana kutir and then to Tota
Gopinath. Where Mahaprabhu entered the body.
o
This was the place where Mahaprabhu thought it
was Govardhan hill and fell unconscious.
o
BSST’s instructions on chanting purely:
§
As our contamination is removed by chanting, the
Lord’s name, form, pasttimes are revealed.
§
There is no other point required to think of the
Lord’s pastitmes
§
Just by chanting without any offenses,
everything comes from the Holy Name. We realize we aren’t mind and body and
then our true identity.
§
Once we are aware of our spiritual body, as we
continue to chant we see the Lord’s body, pasttimes, form etc. Just with
reverence and attention.
Tota Gopinath Temple
By HG Madhavananda Pr:
1. When
we say Hare Krsna, Krnsa I love you (Divine Love) – do we really mean it?
2. We
think we know what Love is.
3. When
we chant for 10-12 years we should start realizing what Love is. If we don’t
that means not chanting with sincerity.
4. What
is real love – unmotivated and never stops. Anyabilashita Sunyam.That is what
fully satisfies the self not skin love or common activity love.
5. Gopis
of Braj they understand true love.
6. Even
though we are not qualified to understand the Gopis and their activities, still
SP said don’t ever bycott the gopis.
7. The
Gopis love is spotless, they don’t want anything for themselves but they want
to please Krsna. All they wanted to do was to please Krsna. K reciprocates with
the person how they surrender to K. As Gopis had surrendered everything for K’s
pleasure, hence he said the Gopis, I am a debtor, I can’t repay you. So then to
repay them, he tried to dress as a Gopi and wanted to serve Radha Rani, so
Radha Rani could help him understand how to server Him.
8. Then
you go and beg - He begged Radha for love. But that also didn’t work, so the
only thing left was to steal, so he entered into Radha;s Rani’s heart.
9. He
melted Radha’s heart how by putting Vipralambha agni and then once it melted,
He went into her heart and then tried to steal her mood of servitude.
10. When
he stole her heart, he became Gaurasundar.
11. Krsna
had to pay in the same currency what He stole which was the debt of Love and he
had to repay as Love.
12. Mahaprabhu
was able to relish the love of Radharani here at Jagannath Puri but not at
Nawadwip.
13. When
K wanted to taste the love of Radharani but Radha wasn’t helping so he took the
help of his 2 sakhis – Swaroop Damodar and Ramananda Raya.
14. Gadhadhara
Pandit was reading SB at Tota Gopinath. They read about Dhruva and Prahalad.
External – for loka siksha (In the beg, middle and end it’s all about K hence
we don’t have to jump to the 10th canto) Our message is we should
read SB everywhere; Internal – Mahaprabhu is in the mood of Radha and hence
Radha wants to read these pasttimes as Radha had her MIL and SIL – Kutila and
Jatila and hence she wanted to get strength from the SB stories.
15. He
tasted the 3 reasons at Gambira, Tota Gopinath and
16. Gopinath
is the start of Gaura Lila.
17. So
hence K had to come as Mahaprabhu to repay the debt of Radharani’s love. Hence
it’s the beginning and the end. It’s here Mahaprabhu also disappeared from
Puri.
18. Tota Gopinath is the beg and the end of our
movement. Mahaprabhu came as Gopinath to repay the debt and also entered
Gopinath.
19. Anyone
preaching has already entered the Gauranga pastime.
Evening class by Gurudeva
Mood of the Vaisnava is to be
lower than the grass. No one if fully qualified. We should understand that
whatever position we are in we just start from there. Krsna is within giving
intelligence. Gajendra in his prayers is saying Lord is never inattentive, even
before we offer our prayers, K is eagerly awaiting for us to help us and aware
of our situation. Anyone who takes up dev service from whatever state devotee
is in will make spiritual progress. Devotee is humble and considers being lower
than the blade of grass, but from the society takes up some service even if
there is an austerity to be able to assist the Lord and please him.
The devotee has great
responsibility to take devotional service seriously and preach it to others. When
someone becomes a Guru, his responsibility doubles both internal and external. Everyone
should try to become a Guru in whatever condition they are which means double
the responsibility.
If you are a doctor even if you
aren’t very qualified and if there is an epidemic and you have the medicine
even if you aren’t very qualified, still you will save them. Same way we all
try to give this medicine to everyone. The most imp challenge of a Guru is
setting an example and giving that instruction to everyone.
Cream of the essence of life is
to hear and chant constantly, at least once a day. We have so less days in this
human life and it’s very important to utilize every moment and hence very wrong
to miss even a single day. Over time as we keep doing our regular prayers we
get wealthy – spiritually wealthy. Hence, important to chant the dasavathara
strotram.
Devotees live to be corrected. I live
to be corrected. Kamalakanta Visvas wrote that Advaita Acarya is incarnation of
Maha Visnu, he has incurred a debt of 300 rupees. This letter somehow came into
the hands of Mahaprabhu, He then became angry at Kalamakanta Visvas that at one
point he says he’s Maha visnu and then he says he has a debt, that is rasa
bhasa and Mahaprabhu shunned him. Advaita Acarya actually wanted to be
chastised by Mahaprabhu and hence Advaita taught wrongly saying Jnana is higher
than Bhakti and when Mahaprabhu started beating him due to this, Advaita was so
ecstatic that he was chastised and started dancing.
Sanatana Gosvami was concerned
that Mahaprabhu chastised Jagadananda because he shared Santana could go to
Vrindavan as Santana had sores on his body and he didn’t want to commit
offenses to Mahaprabhu who was hugging him multiple times and because of that
the pus from the sores was going on Mahaprabhu’s body.
To
advance in dev service always be ready to be chastised and when chastised, try
to become humble and chant and pray to K. Be open to chastisement and it’s very
important aspect to progress in dev service. Usually when chastised it means
there is some intimacy between Guru and disciple.
Pictures from Day 1:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10211877986051005.1073741866.1411532942&type=3
